Baby, It's Cold Outside
by lazily-here
Summary: There's nothing better than two warm hearts on a cold day in February. Written for the Day 3 prompt of MarcoMina Week: Cold.


**A/N: I'm prouder of this fanfic than my other MarcoMina one-shot. It's just a little fluff in the cold. Enjoy. :)**

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Mina sighed, her breath pushing away the steam that swirled up from her cup of hot chocolate. She didn't like coffee, a stark contrast to her apathetic best friend, who practically downed black coffee like water. The black-haired girl was currently sitting in a Starbucks shop alone, as was her usual afternoon ritual during the winter season. She loved reading with the scent of coffee in her nose on a cold day.

Suddenly, Mina heard a knock at the window by her seat. Turning her head, she grinned at the sight of Marco Bodt, her male best friend. He gestured with his hands for her to come outside. _But it's freezing..._ she thought to herself regretfully. Still, she pushed herself up from her table, tossing her book into her bag, then lugging it over her shoulder, and with her other hand grabbing her hot chocolate.

The shop's doorbell chimed a farewell as Mina exited out onto the sidewalk, a wave of frigid air engulfing her immediately. Cringing at the loss of warmth, she made her way over to Marco, who was waiting patiently for her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Marco cut her off.

"It's cold, I know," he said, scratching the back of his neck. Mina smiled.

"Always taking the words straight out of my mouth, Bodt," she giggled. He smiled sheepishly back at her. "Now let's walk. If we stay still for too long, we'll become human popsicles." She began to hobble ahead, sipping her drink while wrapping her other arm around herself. Marco chuckled, and he took a few long strides to catch up with her.

"You can just stand closer to me if you're too cold," he suggested. It was intended to be an innocent statement, but Mina's cheeks turned red when he finished it. His eyes widened. "That...that didn't come out right, did it?" She giggled again.

"It's alright. We're friends after all." Marco turned his head away.

"Right," he replied in a higher voice. He cleared his throat. "I mean, right."

Mina and Marco had been close friends since their first class together in kindergarten. They got along very well, and whenever someone heard a conversation between them, they would think they were on the same wavelength.

However, now that they were in high school, their tight relationship became more awkward. When they were younger, their parents didn't care much about their closeness, because they trusted them in their innocence. They could tackle each other, have sleepovers, go on mini-adventures around town, among many other activities. And they knew everything about each other.

But now that they had matured, people would often mistaken their relationship for a romantic one, simply deducing it from the manner in which they acted around each other. Even their own friends would make jokes about the nature of their relationship. It made things more tense between them; it brought to light all the emotions they had for one another that neither could explain. As a result, conversations they had often derailed into awkward silences.

"So what did you get me out here for?" Mina asked. Marco turned his head back to look at her again. His eyes shut as his lips spread into a small smile.

"Oh, just so we could walk together. I needed to get out of the house because Jean kept ranting to me over text about whether he should send Mikasa something for Valentine's Day or not." Mina frowned.

"You didn't help him?" Marco raised his eyebrows at her.

"Do you _know_ Jean? We went back and forth for an _hour_. He doesn't listen to reason." Mina laughed and nodded her head.

"Alright, that _does_ sound like Jean," she admitted. "He should definitely confess to Mikasa on Valentine's Day, though. That would be cute." Marco and Mina were the two people who were in the know about Jean's massive crush on Mikasa. Most other people had an inkling about Jean's affections toward the half-Japanese girl, but as Marco and Mina were often Jean's confidantes, they knew that his feelings for Mikasa stretched beyond a mere affinity.

Marco coughed, glancing at Mina out of the corner of his eye.

"So what are you doing for Valentine's Day?" he asked casually. She smiled, throwing back the rest of her hot beverage down her throat.

"Well, I don't exactly have a date, so it'll just be me and my endless supply of chocolates watching stupid rom-coms at home. Oh, and Mikasa, Sasha, and I will be helping Hannah get ready for her date with Franz. How about you?"

"Um, well..." Marco scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks reddening deeper than they already were from the cold. "The guys are trying to set me up for a date." Mina's heart sank, her gaze dropping to the slushy sidewalk.

"Oh," she said, lifting her head to force a smile. "Good luck, then. I hope you have fun, I'm sure your guys will...have someone special in mind for you."

It was only recently that Mina had admitted to herself (and her best friend, Annie, to whom she had rambled on about her revelation by calling her at 3 AM, only to discover she was informing her what the blonde knew all along) that she had romantic feelings for Marco.

He was her closest male friend, after all, and whenever they'd hang out, they were never short in conversation, which Mina adored. She was a talkative person; the one thing she valued most in a relationship was to be able to speak to her partner about anything while managing to keep them equally invested in the discussion. She almost always had Marco's attention when she talked to him, and she loved that affirmation. And he was a sweet, upright gentleman, who was patient, kind, and adorably awkward.

In truth, she had always been emotionally attracted to Marco – it simply took her a while to realize just how much. That was why when he smiled at her as though he were the happiest man in the world her chest felt tighter.

"I know they do," he told her honestly. "I'm one-hundred-percent sure she's perfect." Mina turned her head away, distracting herself with all the frivolous pink decorations hung above every store entrance. She spotted a garbage can nearby and tossed her empty paper cup into it.

"Come on now, Marco, you haven't even met her yet," she said, her tone dry. Something caught her peripheral vision just then. She narrowed her eyes. "What...?"

"What is it?" Marco asked. He stopped walking to stand next to her. Following her gaze, he noticed a small green plant with white berries hanging from the stems, tied together in a red bow, dangling above the doors of a familiar eatery.

"This is Connie's dad's restaurant, right?" Mina asked. "Why do they still have their mistletoe up? Christmas has been over for two months now." Her blue-gray eyes suddenly widened, realizing where her and Marco were standing.

_Darn you Springers and your messed up calendar._

She whirled around to face the freckled boy, raising her hands defensively.

"Okay, so, I know the whole mistletoe thing is a 'rule' or whatever," she said quickly, making air-quotes with her fingers, "but you don't have to feel obliged to do anything because it really isn't Christmas anymore. So – this plant isn't even really in _season_ so I don't think it counts and-"

Marco gently grabbed her chin with his thumb and forefinger, leaning in close enough to her face that they shared the same breath. He blushed, his gaze flickering to her lips.

"I think there's only one requirement for mistletoe," he whispered.

"I...guess so?" she sputtered; dazed. As soon as the words left her lips, Marco's lips met hers in a tentative kiss. In that moment, Mina wondered why she'd even protested at all.

All of a sudden, they heard a loud crash, accompanied by a high-pitched scream and a howl. Reluctantly, Mina parted from Marco. They glanced at the _Springers' Good Eats_ to see the owner's son, Connie, stumble outside. Sasha followed suit immediately after him. They grinned widely at the couple, Mina looking very confused and Marco smiling knowingly at them.

"_HELLO, IS IT ME YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?_" Connie sang. "_I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in your smile~._"

"_You're all I've ever wanted, _a_nd my arms are open wiiiiide_," Sasha chimed in, tossing Connie his guitar. He caught it and began to strum it vigorously.

"_'Cause you knoooow~ just what to say_," a third voice rang out passionately. The couple turned to see Marco's best friend, Jean, emerging from the alley next to the restaurant. He gave them a thumbs up. "_And you know just what to do_."

"_And I want to tell you so much_," Marco sang softly. Mina squeezed her pigtails nervously.

"_I love you_," she whispered, ending the verse. She took Marco's face in her hands this time and kissed him again, while he wrapped his arms around her waist, reciprocating.

Connie strummed his guitar louder as Sasha and Jean clapped, all of them cheering them on. When they stepped back, Marco still holding Mina, she raised an eyebrow at him.

"What about your Valentine's Day date?" she asked. He laughed lightly.

"I'm looking at her – that is, if she wants to go out to dinner with me on the 14th?" Mina gaped up at him, making him laugh again. She raised her chin.

"She would," she replied in a posh voice. His subsequent laughter was music to her ears, and she hugged him tightly.

"The dinner's on me, just so you know," Connie interjected. "Papa Springer'll fix you up a mucho bueno meal." The chef's son kissed the tips of his own fingers, pulling his hand away from his mouth after. Jean smacked the back of his head.

"Don't ruin their moment," he scolded.

"Don't hit people," Sasha hissed.

It was fifteen degrees below zero that day, but Marco and Mina's embrace was warmer than paradise.


End file.
